Electric socket



ca. B. BENANDER ELECTRIC SOCKET Filed March 25, 1937 InveBnror- George enander, b 5

His ttorneg- Patented Aug. 19, 1941 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE I militias George B. Benander, Y

Monowatt Electric 5 Claims. (01. 173-358) I The present invention relates to electric sockets of the type which is particularly adapted for use with strings of decorative lights, such as Christmas tree lights. l

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of and methodfor making sockets of this type. i

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the following description and the claims appended thereto. V

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a socket embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an exploded view showing the screw shell disassembled from the husk; and Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the socket.

Referring to the drawing, the socket has a base or husk I of suitable molded insulating material having a cylindrical body portion open at its lower end and having a flared mouth 2 at its upper end. The mouth is adapted to receive a sealing washer (not shown) which will cooperate with a lamp or plug threaded into the socket to seal the upper end of the socket.

This feature is of particular advantage in case the socket is used out of doors or in other locations where moisture might leak into the socket and short circuit the terminals thereof. In the husk is a screw shell 3 having a flange l at its upper end which is in tight engagement with the side walls of the husk. At the lower end of the screw shell is a disc 5 carried between a shoulder 6 and a spun-over portion 1. In the center of the disc 5 is a rivet 8, the upper end or head of which serves as the center contact of the socket and the lower end of which projects through the disc and is accessible for making connections therewith. As shown in Fig. 3 the side walls of the screw shell below the flange 4 are spaced from the side walls of the husk. At the lower end of the husk is an inwardly flaring portion 9 having diametrically opposed openings or notches it therein. Extending through the openings is a rubber-covered twoconductor cord !2, the portions of the conductors within the husk being stripped and respectively soldered to the screw shell and the center ter minal. as indicated at it and It. With this arrangement the terminals of the socket are connected in parallel across the conductors so that full voltage is applied across the terminals of the socket.

In the manufacture of the socket the conductors are connected to the screw shell asshown in Fig. 2. The screw shell is then inserted alesville, Conn., assignor to Corporation, Bridgeport, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application March 25, 1937, Serial No. l33,012

. completely sealing transverse to the plane of through the upper end of the husk and the ends .of the conductor cord extended through the openings [0. The assembly is then inserted in "a mold which presses the flange 4 tightly against the side walls of the husk. Rubber is then forced into the mold, flowing through the lower end of thehusk between the side walls of the husk and the side walls of the screw shell, around the conductors, and around the lower end of the husk. The rubber is then cured after which the completed socket is removed from the. mold.

The rubber securely holds the screw. shell in the husk, grips the conductors and the rubber covering on the conductor cord so as to prevent strain on the connections between the conductors. and the socket terminals, and provides a seal for the lower end of the socket. The portion of the rubber which extends around the outside of the lower end of the husk provides an extended surface of contact between the rubber and the husk which improves the seal for the lower end of the socket. The rubber flows around the outside of the joint between the disc 5 and the screw shell and provides a seal for this joint. As shown in Fig. 3, the rubber flows around the screw threads on the outside of the screw shell, the space between the screw shell and the husk and firmly gripping the screw shell.

At the upper end of the husk is a peripheral groove 15 in which is received the circular portion It of a wire clip. The portion I6 is preferably made of slightly less diameter than the groove 15 so that when it is placed in the groove it will be held therein by the inherent resilience of the wire. The ends I! of the wire clip extend longitudinally down the sides of the husk in spaced relation thereto. These ends cooperate with the husk to provide a clip for supporting the socket by gripping the supporting member between the ends I! and the sides oi the husk. When the supporting member, which may for example be the branch of a Christmas tree, is gripped between the ends I! of the clip and the outside of the husk, the force exerted on the ends I! tends to tighten the gripping action of the circular portion it of the clip in the groove 15. From one aspect, the wire clip can be considered as comprising a loop encircling the husk with the free ends of the loop extending longitudinally along the sides of the husk the loop. I

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an electric socket, a husk of insulating material open at its lower end, a screw shell in the husk, and a member of plastic material surrounding the outer walls of the lower end of the husk and sealing the open lower end thereof, said member having an integral portion within the husk filling the space between the threads on the outside of the screw shell and the inner surface of the husk.

2. In an electric socket, a husk of insulating material open at its lower end, a screw shell in the husk, and a member of rubber surrounding the outer walls of the lower end of the husk and sealing the open lower end thereof, said member having an integral portion within the husk filling the space between the threads on the outside of the screw shell and the inner surface of the husk.

3. In an electric socket, a husk of insulating material open at its carried by said disk, said center contact being accessible from the under side of the disk for making connections thereto, conductors conminal,

4. In an electric socket, a husk of insulating material, a screw shell in the husk, a center contact carried. by the screw shell, an opening in the side walls of the husk, conductors extending through the said opening and connected to the screw shell and the center contact, and a member of rubber surrounding the outer walls of the lower end of the husk and sealing the open lower end thereof and surrounding and united to said conductors, said member having an integral portion within the husk filling the space between the threads on the outside of the screw shell and the inner surface of the husk.

5. In an electric socket, an assembly of socket terminals comprising a center contact and a of less diameter than the assembly and the opening at the upper end being of greater diameter whereby the assembly is insertable into the husk through its upper end, notches in the lower end of the husk receiving the conductors, and a member of rubber surrounding the outer walls of the lower end of the husk and sealing the open lower end thereof and surrounding and GEORGE B. BENANDER. 

